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In the wake of Friday morning’s arrest, 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver is facing misdemeanor and felony hit-and-run, felony possession of brass knuckles and felony reckless driving. The charges stemmed from an incident in which Culliver allegedly struck a bicyclist with his car and then fled the scene.

Does Champ Bailey have anything left? (Steve Dykes, Getty).

A witness allegedly chased Culliver and blocked his way with his car. Culliver threatened the witness with brass knuckles, and then escaped by scraping by the witnesses’ car in his Ford Mustang.

If convicted, Culliver could miss games because of jail time, although that seems unlikely. However, Culliver
could be subjected to a suspension by the league for four games or more.

Culliver’s mental state is also a question. He’s only 25, and this latest incident could be a distraction.

Bottom line, cornerback is now more of a priority. The 49ers are likely to spend one or even two of their six
picks in rounds one through three on corners. They also could delve into what’s left in the cornerback free-agent market.

The top name now is probably Champ Bailey – all 35 years of him. The future Hall of Fame player missed 11 games with a foot injury last year, and his agent said he probably should have missed the season.

Even with the injury, Bailey was decent for most of the season. There’s also a possibility Bailey will be better with an off-season to recover.

Bailey is also open to playing safety and the 49ers love versatility.

The team could also use Bailey in the locker room. They lost two sterling characters with Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers and now have Chris Cook, Perrish Cox and Eric Wright – all of whom have had struggles off the field – to go along with Culliver.